"During the Arab Spring, an American spy's final mission goes dangerously awry in this explosive, bold, and eerily realistic debut from a former CIA officer who brings a fresh spin to the classic espionage novel. Shane Collins, a world-weary CIA spy, is ready to come in from the cold. Stationed in Bahrain off the coast of Saudi Arabia for his final tour, he has little use for his mission -- uncovering Iranian support for the insurgency against the monarchy. He certainly has no use for his naïve and ambitious twenty-eight-year-old station chief. Then Collins meets Almaisa, a beautiful and enigmatic artist, and his eyes are opened to a side of Bahrain most expats never experience, to questions he never thought to ask. When his trusted informant inside the opposition becomes embroiled in a murder, Collins finds himself drawn deep into the conflict, his growing romance with Almaisa -- and his loyalties -- upended. In an instant, he's caught in the crosswinds of a revolution. Drawing on all his skills as a spymaster, he must navigate a bloody uprising, earn Almaisa's love, and uncover the murky border where Bahrain's secrets end and America's begin. A superbly accomplished modern spy novel dripping with authenticity, The Peacock and the Sparrow explores the elusiveness of truth, the power of love and belief, and the universal desire to be part of a cause greater than oneself"--Jacket flap.